Acetabular orthopaedic surgical instrument and method of using same

ABSTRACT

A method of reproducing a central axis of a femoral neck prior to resection during an implantation process includes the step of attaching a frame to the acetabulum of a patient, wherein the frame includes first and second movable arms and a lockable swivel bearing. The method further includes the steps of orienting and locking the swivel bearing in position and utilizing the position of the swivel bearing to position acetabular instrumentation to match a planned acetabular implant orientation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. PatentApplication No. 61/706,232, entitled “ACETABULAR ORTHOPAEDIC SURGICALINSTRUMENT AND METHOD OF USING SAME,” which was filed on Sep. 27, 2012.The disclosure of such application is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to orthopaedic surgical instruments andmore particularly to acetabular orthopaedic surgical instruments.

BACKGROUND

Joint arthroplasty is a well-known surgical procedure by which adiseased and/or damaged natural joint is replaced by a prosthetic joint.For example, in a hip arthroplasty surgical procedure, a prosthetic hipreplaces a patient's natural hip. A typical prosthetic hip includes anacetabular orthopaedic prosthesis and/or femoral head orthopaedicprosthesis. A typical acetabular orthopaedic prosthesis includes anacetabular cup, which is secured to the patient's natural acetabulum,and an associated polymer bearing or ring.

To facilitate the replacement of the natural joint with an acetabularorthopaedic prosthesis, orthopaedic surgeons may use a variety oforthopaedic surgical instruments such as, for example, reamers, drillguides, drills, and/or other surgical instruments.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, a method of reproducing a central axis of afemoral neck prior to resection during an implantation process includesthe step of attaching a frame to the acetabulum of a patient, whereinthe frame includes first and second movable arms and a lockable swivelbearing. The method further includes the steps of orienting and lockingthe swivel bearing in position and utilizing the position of the swivelbearing to position acetabular instrumentation to match a plannedacetabular implant orientation.

The orienting and locking step may be performed pre-operatively.Alternatively, the orienting and locking step may be performed by asurgeon during an operating procedure.

The frame may include a patient-matched shim.

According to another aspect, a method of reproducing a central axis of afemoral neck prior to resection during an implantation process includesthe step of attaching a frame to the acetabulum of a patient. The methodfurther includes the steps of attaching a clamp to a neck of a femur ofa patient and connecting the frame and the clamp. The method alsoincludes the steps of moving a neck of the femur until the neck islocated in a planned position for the patient and locking the frame andthe spring-loaded clamp in the planned position. The planned position isutilized to position acetabular instrumentation to match a plannedacetabular implant orientation.

The step of attaching the frame to the acetabulum of a patient mayinclude the steps of attaching the frame to a patient-matched shim andthereafter attaching the shim and frame to the acetabulum of thepatient.

The step of attaching the frame may include the steps of adjusting legsof the frame to fit an acetabulum of the patient and securing the frameto the acetabulum of the patient.

The step of attaching the clamp to the neck of the femur of the patientmay include the steps of opening spring-loaded arms of the clamp andallowing the spring-loaded arms to close around the neck of the femur ofthe patient.

The step of connecting the frame and the clamp may include the steps ofpositioning a first end of a vertical rod through a bore within a swivelbearing within the frame and positioning an L-shaped rod with a firstsegment thereof through a hole within the clamp and a second segmentthereof through a hole within a second end of the vertical rod oppositethe first end.

The step of positioning the L-shaped rod may further include the step ofaligning features within the vertical rod and the second segment of theL-shaped rod to prevent rotation of the L-shaped rod with respect to thevertical rod.

The locking step may further include the step of tightening a clampabout the swivel bearing to lock the swivel bearing.

The method may further include the steps of removing the L-shaped rodand the vertical rod from the hole within the clamp and the bore throughthe swivel bearing, respectively, and positioning a rod extending fromthe acetabular instrumentation within the bore of the swivel bearing tomatch a planned acetabular implant orientation.

According to yet another aspect, an orthopaedic instrument forfacilitating implantation of an acetabular cup component in anacetabulum of a patient includes a frame adapted to be secured to anacetabulum of the patient surrounding a portion of the acetabular cup,wherein the frame includes a swivel bearing. The instrument furtherincludes a clamp adapted to be attached to a neck of a femur of thepatient and a translation rod assembly connecting the adjustable frameand the clamp.

The frame may include adjustable legs that are adapted to be adjusted tofit an acetabulum of a patient and are further adapted to be secured tothe acetabulum of the patient.

The clamp may include first and second clamp members that are mounted toa handle by springs such that the clamp members are biased toward oneanother and may be moved away from one another against the bias of aspring to permit the clamp members to engage a femoral neck.

The translation rod assembly may include a vertical rod having a firstend extending through a bore in the swivel bearing and an L-shaped rodhaving a first segment extending through a hole in the clamp and asecond segment extending through a hole within a second end of thevertical rod.

The L-shaped rod may include a first feature formed within the verticalrod and a second formed within the second segment of the L-shaped rod.The first and second features cooperate to prevent rotation of theL-shaped rod with respect to the vertical rod.

The swivel bearing may be locked in place to prevent movement of theswivel bearing relative to the frame.

The frame may be attached to a shim that has been matched to aparticular patient and the frame and attached shim are implanted withinthe acetabulum of the patient. The shim and the frame may be formed of asingle, integral piece that has been matched to the patient.

The shim may be replaced with another means of setting the frame andswivel bearing orientation relative to the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cup positioningdevice including a frame for attachment to acetabulum of a hip of apatient, a spring-loaded clamp for attachment to a neck of a femur ofthe patient, and a translation rod assembly for non-movably positioningthe frame and spring-loaded clamp with respect to one another;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of the cup positioning deviceof FIG. 1 secured to the acetabulum of the hip of the patient;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spring-loaded clamp of the cuppositioning device of FIG. 1 attached to the neck of the femur of thepatient;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the frame secured to the acetabulum ofthe hip of the patient, the spring-loaded clamp attached to the neck ofthe femur of the patient, the translation rod assembly attached to andconnecting the frame and the spring-loaded clamp, wherein the femur ofthe patient has been rotated until a planned position for articulationof a head of the femur within the acetabular cup is reached and a swivelbearing within the frame has been locked to secure the cup positioningdevice in that planned position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the translation rod assembly showing alock and key in rods of the translation rod assembly to prevent relativerotation;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the frame with the swivel bearing lockedin position and the translation rod assembly and spring-loaded clampremoved therefrom;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 6 with a acetabular cupreamer connected to the swivel bearing by a translation rod assembly;and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cup positioningdevice including a patient-matched shim attached to an acetabulum of ahip of a patient and a frame secured to the patient-matched shim and theacetabulum, wherein a swivel bearing within the frame is pre-positionedand locked in position.

Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will becomeapparent upon consideration of the following drawings and detaileddescription, wherein similar structures have similar reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodimentsthereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and willherein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, thatthere is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Terms representing anatomical references, such as anterior, posterior,medial, lateral, superior, inferior, etcetera, may be used throughoutthis disclosure in reference to both the orthopaedic implants describedherein and a patient's natural anatomy. Such terms have well-understoodmeanings in both the study of anatomy and the field of orthopaedics. Useof such anatomical reference terms in the specification and claims isintended to be consistent with their well-understood meanings unlessnoted otherwise.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7, a first embodiment of a cup positioningdevice 30 is depicted. The cup positioning device 30 generally includesa frame 32 that is adapted to be secured to an acetabulum 34 of a hip ofa patient, a spring-loaded clamp 36 that is adapted to be attached to afemoral neck 38 of a femur 40 of the patient, and a translation rodassembly 42 that connects the frame 32 and the spring-loaded clamp 36.

The frame 32, the spring-loaded clamp 36, and the translation rodassembly 42 may be made of, for example, medical grade (biocompatible)metals and engineering plastics, including, but not limited to,stainless steel, a titanium alloy, a cobalt chromium alloy, apolyoxymethylene, such as Celcon® or Delrin®, or a polyether etherketone, or other suitable materials. The frame 32, the spring-loadedclamp 36, and the translation rod assembly 42 may also be made of thesame or different materials.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 32 of the cup positioningdevice 30 includes a central connector 50 having a clamp 52 formedwithin and connected to and extending from an outer edge 54 of theconnector 50. The clamp 52 includes clamp members 56 having curvedsegments 58 extending from the connector 50 and forming a circular clampand straight segments 60 extending from the curved segments 58 andparallel to one another. A swivel bearing 62 is disposed within thecircular clamp adjacent the curved segments 58 and a fastener 64 extendsthrough the straight segments 60. A nut 66 is attached to a free end 68of the fastener 64. Tightening of the nut 66 on the fastener 64 causesmovement of the straight segments 60 toward one another, thereby movingthe curved segments 58 toward each other and causing the curved segments58 to clamp and prevent movement of the swivel bearing 62, as will bediscussed in greater detail below.

While the fastener 64 and the nut 66 are shown as tightening and lockingthe clamp 52, other suitable methods for tightening and locking theclamp 52 may be utilized. Still further, any clamp or other suitablestructure that would allow the swivel bearing 62 to be rotated andlocked, as desired by a user, may be utilized.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 32 further includes arms 70extending from and attached to the connector 50 by pins 72. The pins 72extend through the connector and the arms 70 to form a point of rotationsuch that the arms 70 may be rotated with respect to the connector 50.Each of the arms 70 is secured to the acetabulum 34 of the patientsurrounding an acetabular anatomy 74 by two or more anchors 76, as seenin FIG. 2. The anchors 76 may be in the form of screws, bolts, or anyother structure suitable for securing the arms 70 to the acetabulum 34.The anchors 76 are positioned to prevent movement of the arms 70 andconnector 50 with respect to one another.

The spring-loaded clamp 36, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes ahandle 80 having a support end 82 having an enlarged head 83 with a hole84 therethrough. The support end 82 has a width larger than a width ofthe handle 80 to retain a spring 86 on the handle 80 adjacent thesupport end 82. A clamp end 88 of the handle 80 further includesspherical projections 90 that extend outwardly from sides of the handle80. Clamp members 92 are attached to the spherical projections 90 bypins 94 or other suitable structures that allow pivoting. While theprojections 90 are shown and disclosed as being spherical, othersuitable shapes that limit damages to bone may be utilized.

Each clamp member 92 includes upper and lower curved arms 96, 98 thatare attached to upper and lower surfaces 100, 102 of the sphericalprojections 90, respectively, by the pins 94. Knobs 104 are disposedbetween the upper and lower curved arms 96, 98 at ends 106 of the clampmembers 92. The knobs 104 may be attached by pins 107 or any othersuitable structure that allows rotation of the knobs 104. Optionally,the knobs 104 may be stationary. The knobs 104 may be made of a materialand/or formed in a shape that prevents damage to bone. For example, theknobs 104 may be rounded or oval-shaped and/or the knobs 104 may be madeof, for example, rubber or plastic. While the knobs 104 are shown asbeing partially spherical in shape, other suitable shapes mayalternatively be utilized.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring-loaded clamp 36 furtherincludes upper and lower plates 110, 112 disposed against upper andlower surfaces 114, 116 of the handle 80. The plates 110, 112 areconnected by pins 114 or another suitable structure to first ends 117 oflinks 118, wherein second ends 120 of the links 118 are connected to theupper and lower curved arms 96, 98 of the clamp members 92.

The plates 110, 112 are positioned for movement along the upper andlower surfaces 114, 116 of the handle 80. In particular, the spring 86is disposed over the handle 80 between the support end 82 of the handle80 and the plates 110, 112. When unactuated, the spring 86 is biasedagainst the plates 110, 112, thereby pushing the plates toward the clampend 88 of the handle 80, causing the links 118 to close the clampmembers 92. As will be discussed in greater detail below, when the knobs104 are pressed against a structure for clamping, for example, the neck38 of the femur 40, outward pressure on the knobs 104 causes the clampmembers 92 to move outwardly. Outward movement of the clamp members 92causes inward movement and straightening of the links 118, which causesmovement of the plates 110, 112 toward the support end 82 of the handle80 against the bias of the spring 86. Once the knobs 104 have passed thefemoral neck 38, the clamp members 92 return to their original, biasedposition with the clamp members 92 attached to the femoral neck 38. Inthis position, the knobs 104 and outer surfaces 122 of the sphericalprojections 90 are in contact with the femoral neck 38.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the translation rod assembly 42 includesa vertical rod 140 and an L-shaped rod 142. The vertical rod 140 isgenerally cylindrical and includes a lower end 144 that extends througha bore 146 that extends through the swivel bearing 62. An upper end 148of the vertical rod 140 includes an enlarged head 150 with a hole 152therethrough. As can best be seen in FIG. 5, the hole 152 is generallycircular with a square-shaped cutout 154 at a lower edge of the hole152, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

The L-shaped rod 142 includes a vertical segment 160 that extendsthrough the hole 84 in the support end 82 of the handle 80 of thespring-loaded clamp 36. The L-shaped rod 142 also includes a horizontalsegment 162 that is connected to and extends at an angle of about 90degrees from the vertical segment 160. The vertical and horizontalsegments 160, 162 are generally cylindrical, although the horizontalsegment 162 includes a square-shaped projection 164 extending from alower surface 166 thereof. As best seen in FIG. 5, the horizontalsegment 162 extends through the hole 152 in the enlarged head 150 of thevertical rod 140 with the square-shaped projection 164 disposed withinthe square-shaped cutout 154 of the hole 152 to prevent rotation of thehorizontal segment 162 within the hole 152. The square-shaped cutout 154and projection 164 also provide a lock and key mechanism whereby thevertical rod 140 and the L-shaped rod 142 may only be attached in onemanner. Although a square-shaped cutout 154 and projection 164 are shownand described, other complementary or non-complementary shapes, forexample, semi-circular, triangular, hexagonal, rectangular, and thelike, may be utilized to prevent rotational movement of the horizontalsegment 162 within the hole 152. In addition, while the square-shapedcutout 154 and projection 164 are shown as being on lower surfaces ofthe hole 152 and the horizontal segment 162, respectively, the cutout154 and the projection 164 may be located on other surfaces that allowthe projection 164 to be aligned within the cutout 154. Still further,any other mechanisms for preventing rotation may be utilized.

Ends of the vertical rod 140 and the vertical segment 160 may be taperedto facilitate insertion through the hole 84 and the bore 146,respectively. While the vertical rod 140 and the vertical and horizontalsegments 160, 162 of the L-shaped rod 142 are generally described ascylindrical, other suitable shapes may be utilized.

An exemplary method of using the cup positioning device 30 of FIGS. 1-7will now be described in detail with respect to FIGS. 2-4, 6, and 7. Thecup positioning device provides a method for reproducing a central axis180 of the femur 40 (as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6) prior to re-sectionso the central axis 180 may be utilized to properly position anacetabular cup implant component. It will be appreciated that details ofthe surgical procedure may vary, for instance, according to thepreferences of the surgeon. For example, a surgeon may perform the stepsin a different order and/or may add or remove particular steps.

Each patient has different anatomy, but there is a relationship (e.g., aneck angle) between an anatomical axis of the femoral neck 38 and ananatomical plane of the acetabulum 34. The surgeon selects a proximalfemoral implant with a given neck angle, wherein there exists a deltabetween the anatomical axis of the femoral neck 38 and an axis of a neckof the femoral implant. The neck angle has a relationship to theplacement and orientation of the acetabular cup implant component thatensures a range of motion without impingement.

Referring to FIG. 2, the frame 32 of the cup positioning device 30 ispositioned on the acetabulum 34 around a perimeter of the acetabularanatomy 74. The arms 70 of the frame 32 may be pivoted about the pointof rotation formed between the arms 70 and the connector 50 at the pins72 to account for different sized acetabular cups 74. Once the arms 70are positioned about the perimeter of the acetabular anatomy 74, thearms 70 are secured to the acetabulum 34 by the anchors 76.

As seen in FIG. 3, the spring-loaded clamp 36 is attached to the neck 38of the femur 40. As discussed above, the knobs 104 are pushed againstthe femoral neck 38, which causes outward movement of the clamp members92. Once the knobs 104 have passed the femoral neck 38, the clampmembers 92 return to their original, biased position with the clampmembers 92 attached to the femoral neck 38. In this position, the knobs104 and outer surfaces 122 of the spherical projections 90 are incontact with the femoral neck 38 to prevent movement of thespring-loaded clamp 36. While attachment of the frame 32 to theacetabulum 34 is discussed as preceding attachment of the spring-loadedclamp 36 to the femoral neck 38, these steps may be reversed.

After the frame 32 has been attached to the acetabulum 34 and thespring-loaded clamp 36 has been attached to the femoral neck 38, thetranslation rod assembly 42 is connected to the frame 32 and thespring-loaded clamp 36. In particular, the spring-loaded clamp 36 isrotated about the femoral neck 38 until the enlarged head 83 of thehandle 80 is spaced from the swivel bearing 62 of the frame 32, as bestseen in FIG. 4. The horizontal segment 162 of the L-shaped rod 162 isinserted through the hole 152 in the enlarged head 150 of the verticalrod 140 with the square-shaped cutout 154 and the square-shapedprojection 164 aligned to prevent rotation of the horizontal segment 162within the hole 152. The translation rod assembly 42 is thereafterattached to the frame 32 and the spring-loaded clamp 36 by inserting thevertical segment 160 of the L-shaped rod 142 through the hole 84 in theenlarged head 83 of the handle 80 of the spring-loaded clamp 36 untilthe horizontal segment 162 is in contact with the enlarged head 83.Simultaneously, the vertical rod 140 is inserted through the bore 146 inthe swivel bearing 62 until the horizontal segment 162 is in contactwith the enlarged head 83. Optionally, the vertical rod 140 and theL-shaped rod 142 may be separately attached to the frame 32 and thespring-loaded clamp 36.

Once the translation rod assembly 42 is properly attached to the frame32 and the spring-loaded clamp 36, the femur 40 of the patient isarticulated by the calculated delta so that the anatomic neck axis isparallel to the cup placement axis, thereby reaching the plannedposition for articulation of a head 182 of the femur 40 within theacetabular anatomy 74. The femur 40 is thereafter locked in place, asseen in FIG. 4, for example, by tightening the nut 66 on the fastener64, which causes movement of the straight segments 60 of the clamp 52toward one another, thereby moving the curved segments 58 toward eachother and causing the curved segments 58 to clamp and prevent movenementof the swivel bearing 62. In this position, the vertical rod 140 and thevertical segment 160 of the L-shaped rod 142 are parallel to the centralaxis 180 of the femoral neck 38, as will be described in greater detailbelow.

Referring to FIG. 6, the translation rod assembly 42 is removed from theframe 32 and the spring-loaded clamp 36 and the spring-loaded clamp 36is removed from the femoral neck 38. The femoral head 182 is eitherre-sected while positiond within the acetabular anatomy 74 or removedfrom the acetabular anatomy 74 and thereafter re-sected. Regardless,once the femoral head 182 has been re-sected and removed from theacetabular anatomy 74, the acetabular instrumentation 200 is attached tothe frame 32 to properly prepare the acetabular anatomy 74 forpositioning of the acetabular cup implant component. While anyacetabular instrumentation 200 may be used, the acetabularinstrumentation 200 is shown as a reamer generally including a shaft 204and a cup reamer 206 attached to the shaft 204 for reaming theacetabular anatomy 74.

A rod 206, as seen in FIG. 7, extends outwardly from an outer surface208 of the shaft 204 at an angle of about 90 degrees. The rod 206 isgenerally cylindrical and includes a square-shaped projection 210. Therod 206 is inserted through the hole 152 of the vertical rod 140 withsquare-shaped projection 210 aligned with and retained within thesquare-shaped cutout 154 of the hole 152. Simultaneously, the cup reamer206 is positioned within the acetabular anatomy 74 and the vertical rod140 is inserted through the bore 146 of the swivel bearing 62. In thisposition, the planned position for articulation of the femoral head 182within the acetabular anatomy 74 is replicated. In particular, theswivel bearing 62 allows the vertical rod 140 to position the acetabularinstrumentation 200 with a central axis 212 positioned parallel to thecentral axis 180 of the femoral neck 38. Optionally, the vertical rod140 may position the acetabular instrumentation 200 (and other tools) ina position that is not parallel to the central axis 180. In this manner,the acetabular instrumentation 200 is precisely oriented to match aplanned acetabular implant orientation.

A second embodiment of a cup positioning device 300 is depicted in FIG.8. The cup positioning device 300 includes a patient-matched shim 302,the shape and size of which are matched to a patient based onpre-operative imaging. More specifically, the shim 302 is designed tofit around a perimeter of the acetabulum 34. Features of the shim 302 ona face 304 opposite the bone surface are designed to locate the frame 32and the orientation of the bore 146 of the swivel bearing 62.

The method of using the cup positioning device 300 of FIG. 8 includesthe step of adjusting the arms 70 of the frame 32 by pivoting the arms70 about the pins 72 such that the frame 32 is sized to fit the shim302. The frame 32 is thereafter attached to or otherwise held togetherwith the shim 302 and the combination of the frame 32 and the shim 302is secured to the acetabulum 34 by the anchors 76, which extend throughthe frame 32 and the shim 302 and into the acetabulum 34. The frame 32and the shim 302 may be attached during manufacture and/or design of thepatient-matched cup positioning device 300. Optionally, the frame 32 andthe shim 302 may be attached prior to introducing them to a wound site(but after manufacture and design) or after the shim 302 is initiallyplaced on the bone within the wound. Regardless of the method used, oncethe frame 32 and the shim 302 are adjacent the bone, anchors 76 areinserted through the frame 32 and the shim 302 into the bone.

The shim 302 orients the frame 32 and the bore 146 of the swivel bearing62 relative to the pre-operative plan and then the plan is translated tothe anatomy when the shim 302 is seated on the perimeter of theacetabulum 34. In this manner, the spring-loaded claim 36 andtranslation rod assembly 42 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 are notnecessary.

Once the frame 32 and the shim 302 are secured to the acetabulum 34, therod 202 of the acetabular instrumentation 200 is inserted through thehole 152 within the vertical rod 140 as disclosed in detail with respectto FIG. 7 and the acetabular instrumentation 200, for example a reamer,is used to ream the acetabular anatomy 74 for implantation of anacetabular cup implant component as described in detail above. A cupimpactor or other surgical tools may additionally be guided by the rods140, 202.

While the shim 302 and the frame 32 are shown as separate components,the shim 302 and the frame 32 may be integral. In this manner, the shim302 and the frame 32 may be matched to a particular patient.

As will become apparent from reading the present specification, any ofthe features of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may beincorporated within any of the other embodiments without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

Further, although directional terminology, such as front, back, top,bottom, upper, lower, etc. may be used throughout the presentspecification, it should be understood that such terms are not limitingand are only utilized herein to convey the orientation of differentelements with respect to one another.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and descriptionis to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, itbeing understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown anddescribed and that all changes and modifications that come within thespirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.

There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arisingfrom the various features of the apparatus, system, and method describedherein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the apparatus,system, and method of the present disclosure may not include all of thefeatures described yet still benefit from at least some of theadvantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art mayreadily devise their own implementations of the apparatus, system, andmethod that incorporate one or more of the features of the presentinvention and fall within the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

1. A method of reproducing a central axis of a femoral neck prior toresection during an implantation process, the method including the stepsof: attaching a frame to the acetabulum of a patient, wherein the frameincludes first and second movable arms and a lockable swivel bearing;orienting and locking the swivel bearing in position; and utilizing theposition of the swivel bearing to position acetabular instrumentation tomatch a planned acetabular implant orientation.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the orienting and locking step is performed pre-operatively.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the orienting and locking step isperformed by a surgeon during an operating procedure.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the frame includes a patient-matched shim.
 5. A methodof reproducing a central axis of a femoral neck prior to resectionduring an implantation process, the method including the steps of:attaching a frame to the acetabulum of a patient; attaching a clamp to aneck of a femur of a patient; connecting the frame and the clamp; movingthe femur until a neck of the femur is located in a planned position forthe patient; locking the frame and the spring-loaded claim in theplanned position; and utilizing the planned position to positionacetabular instrumentation to match a planned acetabular implantorientation.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching aframe to the acetabulum of a patient includes the steps of attaching theframe to a patient-matched shim and thereafter attaching the shim andframe to the acetabulum of the patient.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the step of attaching the frame includes the steps of: adjustinglegs of the frame to fit an acetabulum of the patient; and securing theframe to the acetabulum of the patient.
 8. The method of claim 5,wherein the step of attaching the clamp to the neck of the femur of thepatient includes the steps of: opening spring-loaded arms of the clamp;and allowing the spring-loaded arms to close around the neck of thefemur of the patient.
 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step ofconnecting the frame and the clamp includes the steps of: positioning afirst end of a vertical rod through a bore within a swivel bearingwithin the frame; and positioning an L-shaped rod with a first segmentthereof through a hole within the clamp and a second segment thereofthrough a hole within a second end of the vertical rod opposite thefirst end.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of positioningthe L-shaped rod further includes the steps of: aligning features withinthe vertical rod and the second segment of the L-shaped rod to preventrotation of the L-shaped rod with respect to the vertical rod.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the locking step further includes the stepof: tightening a clamp about the swivel bearing to lock the swivelbearing.
 12. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:removing the L-shaped rod and the vertical rod from the hole within theclamp and the bore through the swivel bearing, respectively; andpositioning a rod extending from the acetabular instrumentation withinthe bore of the swivel bearing to match a planned acetabular implantorientation.
 13. An orthopaedic instrument for facilitating implantationof an acetabular cup component in an acetabulum of a patient, theinstrument comprising: a frame adapted to be secured to an acetabulum ofthe patient surrounding a portion of the acetabular cup, wherein theframe includes a swivel bearing; a clamp adapted to be attached to aneck of a femur of the patient; and a translation rod assemblyconnecting the adjustable frame and the clamp.
 14. The orthopaedicinstrument of claim 13, wherein the frame includes adjustable legs thatare adapted to be adjusted to fit an acetabulum of a patient and arefurther adapted to be secured to the acetabulum of the patient.
 15. Theorthopaedic instrument of claim 13, wherein the clamp includes first andsecond clamp members mounted to a handle by a spring such that the clampmembers are biased toward one another and may be moved away from oneanother against the bias of a spring to permit the clamp members toengage a femoral neck.
 16. The orthopaedic instrument of claim 13,wherein the translation rod assembly includes: a vertical rod having afirst end extending through a bore in the swivel bearing; and anL-shaped rod having a first segment extending through a hole in theclamp and a second segment extending through a hole within a second endof the vertical rod.
 17. The orthopaedic instrument of claim 16, whereinthe L-shaped rod includes: a first feature formed within the verticalrod; and a second feature formed within the second segment of theL-shaped rod; wherein the first and second features cooperate to preventrotation of the L-shaped rod with respect to the vertical rod.
 18. Theorthopaedic instrument of claim 17, wherein the swivel bearing is lockedin place to prevent movement of the swivel bearing relative to theframe.
 19. The orthopaedic instrument of claim 13, wherein the frame isattached to a shim that has been matched to a particular patient and theframe and attached shim are temporarily mounted to the acetabulum of thepatient.
 20. The orthopaedic instrument of claim 19, wherein the shimand the frame are formed of a single, integral piece that has beenmatched to the patient.
 21. The orthopaedic instrument of claim 13 wherethe shim is replaced with another means of setting the frame and swivelbearing orientation relative to the patient.